Energion Political Roundable -- Q. 6 -- Medicare and the Presidential Candidates
The Energion Political Roundtable has reached
round six, which as you’ll see focuses on the question of Medicare. My
conversation partners are – Allan Bevere, Elgin Hushbeck, Joel Watts, and Arthur Sido. You can check out their responses, and if I have opportunity I’ll share
my own responses. So, on to the question
posed by our publisher Henry Neufeld.
Here in Florida we're getting a lot of political ads. One of the key topics in both the Senate race between Connie Mack and Bill Nelson and in the presidential race is Medicare. How would you evaluate the plans that each presidential candidate has for Medicare? Should senior citizens be concerned?
Living in Michigan, which apparently has ceased
being a battleground state, the ads aren’t coming as fast or as furious (no pun
intended) as they are south of the border in Ohio or I presume in Florida. As for the Senate race in Michigan, this
particular issue (Medicare) doesn’t seem to be a major issue, at least at this
point. So, it’s possible that I’m a bit
distant from some of the political wrangling that may be going on in other more
contested spots – and/or states with large numbers of seniors.
As for my take on the ongoing Medicare debate, I should
note that I see it in a broader context, which involves providing affordable
health care options for all residents of this nation. In the 2008 election the debate centered on
whether access to quality health care was a right or not. Both candidates seemed to agree that everyone
should have access, though they differed to some degree on the delivery
mechanism. One of President Obama’s
achievements was creating a national health care system, one that involves
private health care insurers. With this
achievement in the background to our conversation we can turn to the current
debate over Medicare.
I think we can start with Mitt Romney’s declared
opposition to the so-called “Obamacare,” even though it matches up with a rather
successful Massachusetts venture. I’ve
never understood how he can say that it’s great for Massachusetts, but not for
the rest of the nation. If it’s so
great, then why shouldn’t the Federal government emulate it? Although
the question before us has to do with Medicare, some of the President’s reforms
of Medicare are predicated on the broader reforms of the ACA. This is why Romney’s charges that Obama is “stealing”
from Medicare are less than honest.
Obama is working to end inefficient delivery systems (overpayment to
insurers through Medicare Advantage), and tying in those reforms into a more
effective delivery system for Medicare recipients. Obama’s plan is designed to extend the life
of Medicare, even as costs are contained.
Benefits aren’t being reduced, their being extended and insurers are
losing their government funded money pit.
As advertised the Romney/Ryan plan would retain the current system for
those over 55, and then turn the system for those under 55 (I’m 54) into a
voucher system, that most experts believe won’t keep up with inflation. Now, supposedly the current system would
still exist, but how would it exist if the funding source is changed? None of this really is clear. But more importantly, this is a political
attempt to court older voters (who vote in larger numbers) by sacrificing
younger ones. As I understand it, many
seniors aren’t interested in taking from their children and grandchildren. But
more importantly, some analysts are suggesting that the Romney plan ultimately will
bankrupt Medicare before the voucher program goes into effect. So, maybe seniors should be concerned.
Now, am I completely satisfied with the President’s plan? No.
There’s a plan that neither candidate has embraced, but one that likely
will be implemented in time. That plan
is to extend Medicare to all. If
Medicare was offered as a health plan for persons of all ages, so that we’re
paying into the system at a much younger age, when we’re less likely to make
use of it, then the system has more funds to work with. Of course, this plan has another name –
“Single Payer System.” It’s not
politically palatable right now, but I think it is the most sustainable way
going forward, if for no other reason that it can help contain the accelerating
costs of medical care. Such a system
could move us from the current (and wasteful) system of pay per service method
of delivery to one that is more holistic.
You know, doctors work as teams to find the best solution to a medical
issue, and not simply order unnecessary and expensive tests or operations, simply
because they make money from it. If you remove some of this motivation from the
system costs will be contained and better medicine will be practiced. Oh, and as for those “death panels” and other
scary things you’ve heard about, remember this – rationing happens all the
time. If you have the money or the insurance
(and insurance companies ration all the time), then you can get what you
want. If not, well – you know!
But the question is – what about the two candidates and
their plans for Medicare. If I have to choose
a plan, I’ll go with the President’s. I
think that Romney’s plan will lead to disaster, while the President’s plan
gives us some time to deal with the issue in a more effective way – when the
political climate will allow us to move to a better plan.
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